The Smith Center (Kansas) Redmen beat Oakley Friday night 56-0, which means there’s no jinx that comes with being on the front page of the New York Times. The Times wrote about the Redmen, Smith Center and a good small town Friday, before the team took on undefeated Oakley.

The story is about a community that works. Smith County is on the list of the most prosperous rural communities, and we can see why. “What we do around here real well is raise kids,” Smith Center Coach Roger Barta said. “None of this is really about football. We’re going to get scored on eventually, and lose a game, and that doesn’t mean anything. What I hope we’re doing is sending kids into life who know that every day means something.”

A Town Good at Football and Life

The Smith Center (Kansas) Redmen beat Oakley Friday night 56-0, which means there's no jinx that comes with being on the front page of the New York Times. The Times wrote about the Redmen, Smith Center and a good small town Friday, before the team took on undefeated Oakley.

The story is about a community that works. Smith County is on the list of the most prosperous rural communities, and we can see why. "What we do around here real well is raise kids," Smith Center Coach Roger Barta said. "None of this is really about football. We're going to get scored on eventually, and lose a game, and that doesn't mean anything. What I hope we're doing is sending kids into life who know that every day means something."